Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 64501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
I wait for a reply, and wait some more.
He doesn’t answer.
“I’ll need your phone,” Adam abruptly announces.
I blanch and glance over at him. “What?”
“We need to ensure you aren’t followed.”
“Isn’t it a little late for that?” I ask.
“We scrambled your location, but it’s not a long-term fix. This is.”
“Okay,” I breathe out, trying to take this all in. “Am I in that much danger?”
“We err on the cautious side of safety.” He offers me a new phone. “You can use this one. And before you let your mind go nuts over this, yes, Damion has the number.”
Air gushes from my lips, relief flowing through me. Ironically, considering it’s what I said I wanted, the idea of completely disconnecting from Damion is unbearable. With nerves fluttering through my belly, I hand Adam my phone. He opens it and messes with it a bit before he adds, “Your calls will be forwarded to your new line. Any call you make will look like it comes from your original line, but don’t make any calls. Not until we clear you.”
I incline my chin, and once the transition of phones is complete, I become aware of my racing heart, willing the beating to slow, to calm. But adrenaline is controlling me, and with good reason. The caution with which Walker is operating screams of something far more wrong than I believe there to be. Their actions speak of a real threat—one no one seems to want to share with me, or at least Adam will not. He’s made that clear.
Fifteen minutes later, we approach the property I assume will be our destination as it’s the only place in view. The house is a secluded, sprawling white mansion that stretches far and wide and is framed by manicured bushes and trees. “It seems like a big place to protect,” I murmur softly, comforting myself with the view of a couple of vehicles already present, either of which could have delivered Damion here first.
“It’s locked down,” Adam assures me as we halt, and he’s already opening his door.
The window between me and Savage rolls down, and he glances over his shoulder to speak to me. “You okay?”
“I don’t know. Am I?”
“You have me,” he says, with a wink. “Of course you’re okay.”
I don’t miss the absence of one of his stupid jokes or statements he’s all but famous for with everyone. There’s a seriousness to Savage that is unfamiliar and, yes, dangerous. “Can I get out?”
“You can do whatever you want to do here at the property. It’s locked down.”
Locked down.
Exactly what Adam had said. Why do those words bother me so much?
“Is Damion here?”
His lips thin. “I don’t know.”
He knows, I think. He just doesn’t want to tell me.
Either way, I decide that’s better than him definitely not being here. I reach for the door and step outside to find Adam waiting on me. He motions me toward the front of the house, and we start walking that direction. “How long do you plan to keep me out here?”
“Until we know you’re safe.”
“It’s West Senior,” I remind him. “I’ll never be safe until he’s in jail, and staying here forever isn’t an option.”
“You don’t give us enough credit,” he assures me. “Or Damion, for that matter.”
We reach the steps, and I turn to face him. “What does that even mean? You told me Damion wants to kill his father. That’s not a solution I want to give him credit for.”
“We’ll stop him from doing anything crazy,” he says.
“You said that will require my input, and you won’t even tell me if he’s here. What is Damion doing? What is he planning?”
“You’ll have to talk to Damion about that.”
“And how do you suggest I do that? He won’t take my calls or answer my messages.”
“It’ll work out, Alana,” he assures me softly, but he offers no more and changes the subject. “You have the entire upper level of the house. There’s a bedroom, a full kitchen, and even a gym. All of your things from the room you’d rented at the Ritz are already there.”
“Of course,” I say. “You’re Walker Security. You knew I’d be here before I knew I’d be here.”
“But nobody else knows,” he reminds me and indicates the stairs.
I sigh and walk up the stairs, only to have him reach the porch before me and punch in a code. He opens the door for me. I draw in a breath, hoping and praying Damion will be inside, my actions eager as I enter the foyer. Instinct somehow pulls my gaze upward for a brief glance at the donut-shaped chandelier above me, which I dismiss quickly. My attention rockets toward the right to the living area. The furniture is leather, and the fireplace is broad and dormant. The room is empty, and I feel this realization with a punch in my belly.